timesofmalta.com

Valletta goalkeeper banned for three months

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:44:00 +0200

Valletta goalkeeper Manuel Bartolo has been suspended from football for three months by the MFA following his sending off in Saturday's semi-final against Hibs. He was reported for inciting supporters after his red card. He was also given an additional two-match ban after being shown a straight red card for kicking Hibs midfielder Zoran Levnaic. The suspension comes into effect immediately. Meanwhile Hibs goalkeeper Mario Muscat was also given a one-match ban for his sending off during the same semi-final. Muscat will miss this evening's FA Trophy final against Qormi.

F1: Monaco offers Hamilton his best chance yet

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:12:00 +0200

Words and hats may have to be eaten along with the usual canapes and caviar if Lewis Hamilton wins the glamour race of the Formula One season in Monaco this weekend. The sceptics who doubted McLaren's 2008 world champion would stand on top of the podium this season after his move to Mercedes face a moment of truth with Hamilton's team arriving in the Mediterranean principality on the back of three pole positions in a row. Mercedes have faded in races so far, unable to control their car's insatiable appetite for tyres on a Sunday afternoon, but Monaco's tight and treacherous streets are kinder on the compounds. Hamilton, a winner in what is now his home in 2008, loves the historic circuit that winds up through Casino square and blasts down through the echoing tunnel and out along the harbourside and the ranks of swaying super-yachts. Champions Red Bull have won the jackpot for the past three years, with Australian Mark Webber triumphant in 2012 after also winning in 2010, but Mercedes' qualifying form threatens their run of success. "They (Mercedes) will arrive as favourites for Monaco," said Ferrari's Fernando Alonso after he won his home race in Spain this month. "They've been on...

Past heartaches spur Qormi on for showdown with Hibs

Valhmor Camilleri — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:30:00 +0200

The 2012-13 season comes to a fitting finale this evening when holders Hibernians take on Qormi in a repeat of last year’s FA Trophy final at the National Stadium (kick-off: 7.30pm). Both sets of players will not be short of motivation as Hibs are determined to complete a suc-cessful cup defence to somehow atone for the upset of losing the Premier League title to Birkirkara earlier this month. This will be Qormi’s third attempt to win the second major honour in local football following the final setbacks of 2010 and 2012. Qormi have never had their names inscribed on a winners’ trophy so they are hoping this will be a case of third time lucky for them, also to exact some revenge for last year’s 3-1 defeat to the Paolites in the final. Hibs start favourites to chalk up their 10th FA Trophy success today but cup finals aren’t easy and could be tense and drama-filled. Michael Woods’s team booked their place in the final after a 3-1 victory over Valletta in a turbulent semi-final that saw three players sent off last weekend. Qormi, too, had a tough fight to seal their third cup final appearance in four seasons as they needed a second-half Edison Bilboa Zarate goal to see off Division...

Brazil’s stadiums ready for test

Anthony Boadle — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:29:00 +0200

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took a swipe at the naysayers on Monday as she inaugurated the last of six stadiums that Brazil will use next month to host a warm-up for the 2014 World Cup tournament. “The pessimists said the stadiums would not be ready in time, but we are showing them today that we can deliver high-quality stadiums,” Rousseff said in a speech in Recife before opening the 46,000-seat Arena Pernambuco outside the northeastern Brazilian city. Rousseff said Brazil is fulfilling its commitments with FIFA, whose secretary general Jerome Valcke last year angered Brazilians by saying the country needed a “kick up the backside” to get World Cup preparations moving. On Saturday, Rousseff kicked the first symbolic ball on the newly-laid pitch of the brand new Mane Garrincha National Stadium in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, where Brazil will face Japan in the first game of the eight-nation Confederations Cup on June 15. At a cost 1.2 billion reais ($590.1 million), the colonnaded stadium is the most expensive of the 12 that Brazil is building for next year’s 32-nation World Cup, and a prime candidate to become a white elephant in a city with no major soccer club. Yet...

Ferguson – manager of the year in England

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:28:00 +0200

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson capped his final season in charge of the English Premier League champions by clinching the League Managers’ Association (LMA) Manager of the Year award for the fourth time on Monday. The 71-year-old Scot’s unparallelled success in British soccer ended on Sunday with a remarkable 5-5 draw against West Bromwich Albion. “In a way I am glad it is all over now because it has been hard work,” Ferguson said. “The club has been fantastic and congratulations to West Brom with the way they handled Sunday’s match. I think (West Brom manager) Steve Clarke should get an award because anyone who scores five against United deserves it.” The match against West Brom was Ferguson’s 1,500th in charge of the famed club. He won 38 major trophies in more than 26 years at Old Trafford, capped by the team’s 20th league title, a season after losing it to rivals Manchester City. “There is no doubt that the LMA Annual Awards are perceived as the most accurate measure of a manager’s ability because there are no better judges of your performance than your peers,” LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson said. “Finding words to adequately describe the monumental levels of...

Dortmund’s Goetze faces fitness race for the final

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:27:00 +0200

Borussia Dortmund’s attacking midfielder Mario Goetze has reportedly suffered another setback in his bid to be fit to face his future club Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League on Saturday. Goetze, who has scored 19 goals this season – more than his last two campaigns combined – tore his hamstring during the second leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid and is still rated doubtful for the London showpiece. He started light training just over a week ago and appeared to take a step up yesterday when he followed an individual training session in the morning by joining his team-mates in the afternoon. But Bild reported yesterday evening that Goetze had been forced to pull out of that second session when he felt the problem again. General manager Michael Zorc was quoted by the newspaper as saying: “Mario has felt something again in his hamstring. That is why he stopped. We don’t know how bad it is and whether he is still suffering from it.” It leaves in question Goetze’s chances of playing against the club he will be joining in July after a €37-million transfer was agreed upon last month. And Goetze is not Klopp’s only concern with Mats Hummels, a man who switched...

Forrest feels fit for cup

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:26:00 +0200

Celtic midfielder James Forrest has given boss Neil Lennon a boost ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup final by declaring himself fit to face Hibernian. The Scotland winger missed the recently-crowned Premier League champions’ 4-0 romp over Dundee United at the weekend with a hamstring injury. But the 21-year-old hopes to train with his team-mates towards the end of the week as he bids for a starting slot at Hampden. Forrest – named in Scotland boss Gordon Strachan’s squad for the World Cup qualifier in Croatia next month – said: “I’ve been feeling good. I was a wee bit tight and couldn’t play on Sunday but I’m hoping to train Friday and Saturday and be fit for selection for the game on Sunday.” Forrest squeezed in 43 appearances for the Parkhead side in his breakthrough campaign last year but has been restricted to 28 run-outs, just 17 of them starts.

City, Yankees launch MLS team

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:25:00 +0200

Manchester City and the New York Yankees have formed a new Major League Soccer team to play in New York City from 2015, the organisations said yesterday. Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, will be the majority partner in New York City Football Club with the Yankees, the biggest name in baseball, an “active member of the ownership group”. “This is another big day for soccer in America,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told Reuters. The ‘franchise fee’ for the new club is around $100 million. The new club will face a local rival in New York Red Bulls who play in New Jersey, and are owned by Austrian energy drink firm Red Bull.

Pulis to leave Stoke – report

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:24:00 +0200

Stoke manager Tony Pulis is set to leave the club after almost seven years in charge, according to a Stoke Sentinel report yesterday. The 55-year-old’s future has been the subject of speculation for a few weeks after a disappointing end to the season. Pulis had a meeting with chairman Peter Coates yesterday at which it appears a decision was taken to make a change. Pulis, who after the retirement of Alex Ferguson and David Moyes’s promotion to the Manchester United job is the second-longest serving manager in the country, would leave Stoke in a far better position than he found them. Within two years of taking over for his second spell in charge he won promotion to the Premier League, where they have never finished below 14th. He also led them to their first FA Cup final and consequently into the Europa League. However, a poor run in the second half of this season – during which the Potters won just three of their last 19 league matches and briefly raised relegation fears – saw them finish with their lowest Premier League points tally. Also Pulis’s style of football has often criticised for being over-physical and relying too heavily on the ‘long ball’.

De Boer signs new Ajax deal

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:23:00 +0200

Ajax coach Frank de Boer has agreed a new four-year contract with the Eredivisie champions. De Boer, who also played for the club and Barcelona, has agreed a deal which will keep him at Ajax until June 2017. The former Holland international, whose deal was due to end at the end of next month, told the club website: “This new contract is exactly what I wanted. I’m here enjoying myself and my family is happy here. “I see enough challenges here at Ajax.” De Boer rose through the Ajax youth ranks before making 400 appearances for the first team. De Boer, who also played for Rangers, Galatasaray and Al-Rayyan, won 112 caps for Holland, playing both in the World Cup and European Championships.

Inter hit rock bottom

Antoine Dalli — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:22:00 +0200

Sunday’s Serie A programme brought the curtains down on the 2012/13 league campaign. For some, the season was a success but for others it would be better to just forget about it and start afresh after a very difficult year. Only in 2010 Inter had completed an historic treble but their fortunes changed dramatically since then. On Sunday they got thumped 5-2 at home by Udinese to finish ninth in the final standings and out of the Euro zone, a staggering 33 points behind champions Juventus. Many pundits had placed their bets on Inter in autumn after they interrupted Juve’s 49-match un-beaten run with a resounding 3-1 win in Turin. However, the Nerazzurri faltered badly after that. Juventus recovered well from that partial setback though and went on to clinch their 29th league title with a few matches to spare as Inter continued to lose ground with the leading pack. In season 2010/11, Inter were the league runners-up behind Milan after a strong comeback before lifting their seventh Coppa Italia under coach Leonardo. In the season that followed, Inter finished sixth after resorting to two coaching changes – Claudio Ranieri replaced Gianpiero Gasperini and Andrea Stramaccioni came in...

Roma condemn racist chants

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:21:00 +0200

Roma yesterday vowed to ban any supporters identifiable as responsible for the racial abuse of Milan striker Mario Balotelli. Balotelli was targeted firstly by supporters of the capital club when Roma played Milan at the San Siro on May 12. Roma fans targeted three Milan players and the club were fined €50,000 by the Lega Calcio, however, that proved no deterrent for some supporters in the Serie A home match against Napoli last weekend. Despite both teams donning T-shirts bearing anti-racism slogans before kick-off, several Roma supporters sang abusive songs about former Manchester City striker Balotelli when news filtered through that the Azzurri frontman had scored a penalty six minutes from time for Milan in a 2-1 win at Siena. This time league officials announced the south stand – Curva Sud – of Roma’s Stadio Olimpico would be closed to supporters for one Serie A game as a punishment. Roma responded with a forceful statement, saying: “What occurred Sunday night is appalling and unacceptable. “AS Roma does not want those individuals responsible as fans. The actions of this small group are hateful and also hurt our club and our loyal law-abiding supporters. “We have not yet...

Riva ends involvement with Azzurri

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:20:00 +0200

Italy’s all-time leading goalscorer Luigi Riva is leaving his role as a national team staff manager after 50 years of involvement with the Azzurri. The 68-year-old, who scored 35 goals in 42 appearances for Italy, was part of the 1968 European Championship-winning side and finished as a runner-up in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Better known as Gigi Riva, he made his international youth debut in 1963, meaning yesterday’s decision to step down due to health concerns ends half a century of supporting Italy’s cause. He told the Italian Football Federation’s official website: “I’m leaving the Azzurri behind after 50 years. Physically, I can’t do it anymore. “I’ve already explained my decision to president (Giancarlo) Abete and director general (Antonello) Valentini, and it gives me enormous pleasure that they would like to see me stay on. “Abete wanted me to stay until next year’s World Cup, but because the pain in my hip and shoulder make it uncomfortable for me to travel, I couldn’t consent.” Injury blighted much of Riva’s career with a broken leg ruling him out of the 1966 World Cup in England before he ruptured a tendon playing for Cagliari in 1976, forcing an early retirement two...

Football news

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:19:00 +0200

Fulham are set to complete the signing of Ghana international Derek Boateng, reports said. The 30-year-old is a long-standing target of Martin Jol, who has attempted to bring in the Dnipro midfielder on several occasions before. Boateng’s transfer had to be put on ice previously due to contract disputes with his Ukrainian club, but PA Sport said a deal is now close to being pushed through. The former Getafe, Cologne and Beitar Jerusalem man will reportedly pen a two-year deal at Craven Cottage. Rodwell out to prove himself Jack Rodwell is determined to ensure Manchester City fans see the best of him next season. The former Everton midfielder is hoping to make a fresh start after having his first year at the Etihad Stadium ruined by injury. Rodwell did at least finish the campaign strongly and was unexpectedly rewarded with a place in the latest England squad. “It’s all about the future now,” he said. Obviously a new manager will come in and everyone is intrigued to see who that is going to be. First game of next season everyone will be flying, and we will do our best to prove ourselves to the manager.” Vilarrubi pleased Mou is going Barcelona vice-president Carles Vilarrubi has...

Sporting briefs

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:18:00 +0200

Montanier: Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennes have appointed Philippe Montanier as their new head coach for next season after the Frenchman turned down a contract extension with La Liga’s Real Sociedad. The 48-year-old Montanier will replace Frederic Antonetti, who said he was stepping down after four seasons with Stade Rennes. Moratti: Inter president Massimo Moratti dropped a clear hint yesterday that he might backtrack on his promise to keep Andrea Stramaccioni as coach, saying he was “reflecting” on what was best for the club. “I don’t like to say that it’s the end of an era but we are having another look at the recent events,” Moratti told reporters outside his office. U-21 title: Manchester United completed a second-half comeback to win the inaugural Premier League Under-21 title with a 3-2 win over Tottenham. Jon Obika and Alex Pritchard were on target to send Spurs into the interval with a 2-0 lead. But Marnick Vermijl reduced the deficit and a Larnell Cole brace saw the United youngsters emulate the first team to claim the title. Griffiths: On-loan Hibernian striker Leigh Griffiths has been rewarded for his impressive form with a call-up to the Scotland national squad for the...

Tough task to reach standards

Alex Vella — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:02:00 +0200

After Matthew Zammit pulled out injured from the Luxembourg GSSE, Andrew Chetcuti was the only Maltese swimmer given the go-ahead by the Maltese Olympic Committee to represent Malta in the Games, which will be held between May 27 and June 1. It is clear how arduous it has become for our swimmers to reach the required levels in order to have a realistic chance of winning a medal. Chetcuti, the current national record-holder of the two-lap freestyle event with a time of 51.67 seconds, set in London during last year’s Olympic Games, is hoping to emulate his silver medal success in Liechtenstein 2011 and perhaps go one better. Minimum Qualifying Standards (MQS) were set by the MOC in past years and swimmers were expected to reach these standards. Such limits were tied to the third-placed times of the previous Games or in certain cases an average time of the last editions. This is in line with the MOC’s policy of making local athletes aim higher. The progress of swimmers from other countries in the GSSE has been significant recently especially in the males’ races. Standards have consequently gone up and in certain events the qualifying limits are equivalent to those of the Olympic...

Webber seeks Monaco tonic

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Mark Webber is hoping the comfort of Monaco will help him get his Formula One title challenge back on track. Webber has so far endured a troubled season, with its nadir the sorry saga in Malaysia when he was deprived of a win by Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel’s decision to ignore team orders. The 36-year-old Australian has suffered other woes to leave him sixth in the drivers’ standings, 47 points adrift of three-times champion and current pacesetter Vettel. If Webber is to have any hope of mounting a charge he has to start this weekend in F1’s blue-riband event, the Monaco Grand Prix, where he has taken the chequered flag twice in the last three years. “It’s always been a good track for me,” said Webber, whose 2010 win remains one of his best memories. “I won there in Formula 3000, and I’ve had my couple of wins in Formula One. “It probably goes back to my street-racing experience in Adelaide in Formula Ford. I’m comfortable on street circuits, although I can’t translate it to Singapore yet. I don’t know why. “As for Monaco, it’s still a daunting place, a very challenging venue. “I’m not saying you are on holiday there. But when I’m out there, I don’t know what makes me feel...

Garcia not planning apology to Woods

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Sergio Garcia has no intention of instigating peace talks with Tiger Woods following their clash at the Players Championship. Paired together in a third round at Sawgrass, it took less than two holes for long-standing tensions to come to the surface with Garcia feeling he was put off on his approach shot to the second by crowd noise caused by Woods preparing for his own shot from the trees. Woods insisted he had been told by a marshal that Garcia had already played before pulling a fairway wood from his bag, with the fans cheering the indication that the world number one would attempt to go for the green on the par five. Garcia, who confirmed bluntly at the time that he and Woods “don’t like each other”, told the Daily Mail: “We have not spoken and I don’t really have any plans to (contact him). “Obviously he is not going to say sorry, which I can understand coming from him. “It wasn’t my fault. I am not the one who should go to him. I don’t care who he is. “It doesn’t matter if it is Tiger Woods or Luke Donald, who is my best friend on tour. If I have done something wrong I will go up and say, ‘Sorry, I hope it is okay and that we can move on.’ “But if I am not the one who did...

Vassallo pips Bezzina in air-pistol contest

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

The 2013 Britannia Tours airgun championships were held at the national shooting ranges in Bidnija, last weekend. The championships consisted of four events – the Open Air-Rifle for beginners, Junior 10m Match Air-Rifle and the mixed events in air-pistol and air-rifle. In all, 20 target shooters battled it out for the trophies at stake, this year sponsored by Britannia Services Ltd. In the Open Air-Rifle event, Christopher Aber mustered 338 points to claim the title ahead of Emmanuel Cachia, 296, and Sanaa Aber, 257. The Junior Air-Rifle event was contested by three very promising shooters who all performed extremely well for a very close result. In the end, Isaac Calleja emerged winner with a score of 336 points, a personal best. Isaac Zammit was a close second, 328, and Gianluca Azzopardi Spiteri third on 324 points. The air-rifle event was hotly contested. Eventually, Alison Vella took top place and a deserved Champion’s Shield, with 369 points. Hungarian-born Haynalka Adam was second, with 359 points, and Gozo-based Romeo Zuber third, just one point behind. The air-pistol shoot produced the major upset of the day. In fact, Malta’s top air-pistol shooter at the moment, and...

Pistorius not ready to return to the action

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:01:00 +0200

Oscar Pistorius has turned his back on athletics for the rest of the year to focus on fighting the murder charge hanging over him. The South African’s agent Peet van Zyl told reporters the 26-year-old was not mentally ready to return to competition as he awaits trial, charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend. Instead, the athlete has turned down a number of invitations to meetings. “There was never any pressure from me or his coach (Ampie Louw) to return to competition soon, it’s his decision and it’s his decision not to compete,” Van Zyl said. The six-time Paralympic gold medallist is charged with the murder on Valentine’s Day of Reeva Steenkamp. He is next due in court on June 4, with a trial expected to take place before the end of this year. The double amputee claims that when he fired the shots which killed the 29-year-old through the bathroom door at his home in Pretoria, he believed he was shooting at an intruder. Pistorius’s decision means he will definitely not take part in the IPC World Championships in Lyon in July or the able-bodied World Championships in Moscow the following month. Pistorius, who competed at both the Olympics and Paralympics at London...